Batter&#39;s mask and the like



Juiy 1932. Q TATORE ET AL 1,868,926

BATTERS MASK AND THE LIKE Filed April 6, 1932 FIG. 2

INVENTOR S Carmine 751cm & HanEon-z By //a wlfw w.

ATTORNEY Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARMINETATORE AND FRANK TATORE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BATTER/S MASK AND THE LIKE Application filed April 6,

This invention relates to protective masks for ball players, such asbatters, playing in a game of baseball, that affords protection to theupper part of the head and one side of the face which are generallyexposed to great danger of being struck by an oncoming ball.

The main object of our invention is to provide a batters mask which isparticularly suited to give the batter protection in his normal positionby virtue of an extension from the skull portion of the mask coveringthe side of the face exposed to danger.

Another object is to provide a mask which tends to deflect a flying ballaway from the 16 upper portion of the face by means of a projection atthe peak, above the forehead.

A further object is to provide a mask which also tends to deflect aflying ball away from the side and front of the face by means of 20 sideprojections extending forwardly from one portion of the mask.

It is also an object to provide a mask of the character indicated, whichis very light in construction and comfortable to the wearer and at thesame time very strong in order to withstand the great impinging force ofa pitched ball.

Still another object is to provide such a mask that gives the wearer anunobstructed field of vision and which may be securely positioned uponthe players head.

In the accompanying drawing forming part hereof V Figure 1 is a sideview of a batters mask made according to the invention and including thenovel features and advantages in construction thereof, shown in positionuponthe head of the wearer. 1

Figure 2 illustrates the other side of the same mask.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front view showing the same side as in Figure1.

Throughout the views the same reference numerals indicate the same orcorresponding parts. 1

It is often the case in ball games that a ball approaches so suddenlyand from such an unexpected angle that the player, particular ly thebatter, is unable to avoid being struck thereby on some part of thehead, particular- 1932. Serial No. 603,472.

ly on the side which is turned to the pitcher. A player being thusstruck by a pitched ball, which incident in the language of the game iscommonly referred to as being beaned, is often seriously injured andsometimes permanently maimed.

In any case it makes him bat shy and, consequently he cannot play thegame with his usual confidence and skill. With the aforementionedobjects in view, our invention has been designed, particularly to givethe batter adequate protection while atplay, as follows:

In the practice of our invention, a frame generally indicated at 1 ismade of a plural ity of wires or other open-work frame members,3, 4, 5,etc., which are united by a generally horizontal edge member 10 surrouncing the skull of the player, while the frame as a WhOl envelopes theskull. A downwardly extending frame which is almost triangular in formand generally indicated at 2 issecured to the frame 1 and primarilyconsists of members 11 and 12, which are reinforced by downwardextensions of members l and 5 and auxiliary members 13, 14 and 15.

The front portion of the mask may be flared forwardly by having themembers 6 and 3 curved outwardly away from the skull. The effect'of thisconstruction is to deflect an oncoming ball either upwardly oroutwardly, or in other words to cause the ball to glance away from theupper part of the head. Due to the peculiarity that the normal positionof the player exposes just one side of the head to the danger of impactby an oncoming ball, the downwardly extending frame 2 has been designedtoprotect the side thus endangered. v

However, in order to enhance the effect of protection to the one side ofthe face, a forwardly extending side projection 16 may be secured, ifdesired, to member 12 of the side frame 2, and which serves to deflect aball rearwardly or away from the face; An addi: 9

tional side projection may be secured above the member 16 to both frames1 and 2, serving both to cooperate with said latter member in protectingthe face and to further re: enforce the assembly of both frames.

In order to protect the wearers head from direct contact by the varioushard frame members and make the mask comfortable While being worn, Weprovide a cushioning padding 18 which may be laced or otherwise securedto the skull-surrounding edge-member 10. This padding is extendeddownward and secured underneath members 11 and 12, as shown at 19 and20, so as to protect the side of the face. This padding prevents thehead from being jarred by the force of an impinging ball. The mask issecurely positioned upon the wearers head by means of a chin strap 21fastened to the lower part of the frame member 12 at 23 and pulledthrough an ear 22 projecting from the edge member 10 at the oppositeside of the face and fastened in any suitable manner.

It is manifest that Variations in the above features may be resorted toin order to make the mask better suitable to the individual wearers andto various other games or sports.

In the embodiment illustrated herein the edge member 10 conformsgenerally with the transverse shape of the head and may be integral withthe side frame members 11 and 12, or may have said side frame solderedor otherwise secured thereto in any known manner. The mainreinforcingmembers 3, 3 and 5, 5 form the main supports at the front and the sidesas well as at the rear for the horizontal ring members 8 and 9 whichpreferably envelop members 3, 3 but pass beneath members 5, 5.

Of course, these members may be welded, braced, soldered or otherwisesecured to each other at their mutual points of contact or may be merelyheld in place by friction. One member 5 as well as members 3, 3 arepreferably bent to envelop edge-member 10 and may be further securedthereto by soldering, welding, etc. The other member 5 extends downwardat the side of the mask in the form of member 7 whose lower end is bentto envelop the lower portion of frame member 11. A plurality of shorterreinforcing members 6, 6 and one of members 4 are secured at their lowerends to edge member 10, similarly to 3, 3, while the other member 4extends down past the edge member 10 and is secured to an intermediateportion of frame member 11. This member is then further bent forward asa reinforcing member 13, which is secured to the front frame member 12.All the members 4, 4 and 6, 6 are passed over the members 9 and 8, whilebeing secured at their upper extremities to the latter member 8.

In order to further reinforce the side frame 2 as well as to fill in theopen areas therein, member 14; is secured to member 13 near its junctionwith member 12 and is passed upward over the edge member 10 beneathmember 5 and then returned downward as member 15 over member 13 andfinally secured to an intermediate portion of frame member 11.v

Projection member 16 is secured at both ends to frame member 12 which isalso true of the lower end of projection member 17, the upper end ofwhich is passed over edge member 10 and .secured at the junction of theedge member 10 and reinforcing member 6. These projection members arepreferably integral and intermediately looped about front frame member12.

It is manifest that a somewhat different construction may also serve aswell as that shown and we do not therefore limit ourselves to thedetails exactly as illustrated. It is also obvious that metallic wires,bamboo, fibre, or any suitable material may be used for making theframe. The various frame members may of course also be covered withfabric, rubber, enamel, leather or any material if so desired.

Having now fully described our invention, we claim 1. Batters maskconsisting of a frame covering the skull of the player having an outwardflare over the forehead causing an impinging ball to be deflected awayfrom the face, and provided with a downward extension covering one sideof the head and face.

2. Batters maskconsisting of a frame covering the skull of the playerand provided with a downward extension covering one side of the face anda forwardly disposed side projection fixed upon said downward extensionfor deflecting an impinging ball away from the face.

3. Batters mask consisting of a frame covering the skull of the playerand provided with a downward extension covering one side of the head andface, a forwardly disposed side projection fixed upon said downwardextension for deflecting an impinging ball away from one side of theface and an additional side projection fixed to the frame and thedownward extension thereof above said forwardly disposed side projectionin order to cooperate with the latter.

4. Batters mask consisting of a frame covering the skull of the playerhaving a forward flare over the forehead causing an impinging ball to bedeflected away from the face and provided with a downward extensioncovering one side of the head and face and a forwardly disposed sideproject-ion fixed upon said downward extension for defleeting animpinging ball away from one side of the face.

5. Batters mask consisting of a frame covering the skull of the playerhaving an outward flare over the forehead causing an impinging ball tobe deflected away from the face and provided with a downward extensioncovering one side of the head and face, a forwardly disposed sideprojection fixed upon said downward extension for deflecting animpinging ball away from one side of the face and an additional sideprojection fixed to the frame and to the downward extension thereofabove said forwardly disposed side projection in order to cooperate withthe latter.

6. Batters mask according to claim 5 wherein the forwardly disposed sideprojection as well as the additional side projection are unitary.

7 A frame forming a protective mask having a generally horizontal edgesurrounding the skull of the wearer and a generally triangular downwardextension secured to said frame in order to cover and protect one sideof the head.

8. A frame forming a protective mask having a generally horizontal edgesurrounding the skull of the wearer and a generally triangular downwardextension secured to said frame in order to cover and protect one sideof the head, the hypotenuse of said triangular extension extending fromthe rear of said frame toward the chin of the wearer.

9. A frame forming a protective mask having a generally horizontal edgesurrounding the skull of the wearer and a generally triangular downwardextension secured to said frame in order to cover and protect one sideof the face and head and a cushioning padding secured within saidhorizontal edge and the edges of said generally triangular downwardextension.

10. A frame forming a protective mask having a generally horizontal edgesurrounding the skull of the wearer and a generally triangular downwardextension secured to said frame in order to cover and protect one sideof the face and head and a fastening strap attached at one end to theframe and at the other to a lower portion of said clownward extension.

CARMINE TATORE. FRANK TATORE.

